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NEW DELHI: A major crackdown on unlawful fuel-related activities, the Delhi Police have unearthed an illegal LPG storage and refilling racket operating in Palam Village in South West Delhi. During the operation, three individuals were taken into custody, and 45 domestic gas cylinders, along with refilling equipment and a transport vehicle, were seized from the site.
The action was undertaken by personnel from Police Station Palam Village on March 28, 2026, after receiving specific intelligence inputs regarding suspicious storage of LPG cylinders at a vacant plot near Adarsh Gali. Acting promptly on the tip-off, a police team reached at the location in the early hours of the morning to verify the information.
During the search, officials found a tempo stationed within the premises, carrying a substantial number of Bharat Gas cylinders. In addition to those inside the vehicle, several cylinders were discovered lying in the open area of the plot. Upon closer examination, police personnel observed that gas was being illicitly transferred from one cylinder to another using nozzles and a weighing machine, without adhering to any prescribed safety measures, thereby creating a serious hazard for people living in the vicinity.
The three accused—Anaar Singh, a driver from Najafgarh; Satyaveer, a delivery worker from Dabri; and Vikas Kumar, an assistant delivery worker from Palam—were detained at the scene. When questioned, none of them could provide any valid licence or official permission for storing or handling LPG cylinders at the location.
Initial investigation further revealed that the accused had rented the vacant plot with the intention of using it as a site for illegal storage and refilling of LPG cylinders to earn unlawful profits. Authorities also indicated that the operation was allegedly being conducted by individuals associated with Blue Flame Gas Service located in Janakpuri.
Officials from the SDM office in Dwarka, along with representatives from BPCL and the Food Safety Department, later inspected the premises and corroborated the findings, confirming that the activities being carried out at the site were illegal in nature.
Subsequently, a case has been registered at Police Station Palam Village under Sections 287 and 288 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), in addition to relevant provisions of the Essential Commodities Act. All items recovered from the site—including 45 Bharat Gas cylinders, three gas transfer nozzles, a weighing machine of Salter make, and the tempo—have been taken into custody in accordance with legal procedures.
Police officials stated that further investigation is currently in progress to trace other individuals who may be linked to the racket and to ascertain the full extent and network of the illegal operation.
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